Thursday, November 22, 2007

5 Years in Jail for Quoting the Bible?

A woman has been threatened with up to five years' imprisonment for quoting the Bible.

At first I assumed this must be in a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia.

But, no, it's here in Canada, and it's all in the name of gloriously promoting human rights.

The Scripture in question, predictably, has to do with Old Testament injunctions against homosexuality found in the book of Leviticus.

The typical response on the internet to quoting OT injunctions against homosexuality is to throw in some of the other regulations found in Leviticus, e.g., involving slavery, penalties for working on the Sabbath, etc. The intent is to make the Old Testament, and those who quote it, look ridiculous.

Here's my response:

[1st post]

The Old Testament legal code was designed to teach the people of Israel the principle of clean vs. unclean, and to provide a picture of the stringent holiness that would have to be present for a holy God to dwell in the midst of human society.

The Old Testament was fulfilled and supplanted by the New Testament. At great personal cost to God.

It is the understanding of Christians that the moral dimensions of the Old Testament law, for example concerning adultery, homosexuality, theft, murder, etc. are still in effect, but the purely ceremonial aspects are no longer in force.

But, of course, those who prefer to ridicule the Bible and those who follow it aren't interested in such distinctions.

[2nd post]

The New Testament also contains strong prohibitions against homosexuality. Presumably Jessica Beaumont is free to quote those.

In which case there will have to be another human rights tribunal (and another edict banning the use of Scripture).

At which point the tribunal will begin to look like a person playing the carnival game whack the gopher.

To try your hand at being a human rights tribunalist, go to

http://www.varietyclub61.ab.ca/KP-Gophers.htm

* * *

A very good case could be made that the entire Bible -- from cover to cover -- bears witness to the message that God created humankind in his image as male and female, male for female, female for male, and that homosexual attraction and behaviour is therefore incompatible with the Bible.

In which case it could be argued that the entire Bible should be banned.

[3rd post]

Of course, what we're really all waiting for is when the human rights tribunal gets around to prohibiting verses from the Koran.